A Date Night at Busch Gardens Bier Fest

Busch Gardens Bier Fest is back with its second annual festival! Hubby and I took the drive over to the Tampa theme park to enjoy a date night, sans the kids. Included with park admission, this weekend-only event runs through September 8th, 2019 and features over 40 local and international breweries, new pub-inspired fare, and live entertainment. Check out all the details below!

I was invited as media to cover this event. All opinions are my own.

Busch Gardens Bier Fest

The best way to enjoy the flavors of the festival is with the purchase of a Bier Fest Sampler Lanyard, starting at only $29.99. Samplers allow a choice of any five or ten food or beverage samples throughout the festival. Pass Members get an exclusive offer: 12-items for the same price as a 10-item Sampler – or two extra samples for FREE!

From Florida’s finest craft brews to interesting international delights, park guests can enjoy local favorites and explore new flavors throughout the festival plaza. New to the festival this year, guests can toast to the end of summer with seasonal flavors like pumpkin and fruity ciders, including gluten-free options.

Bier Fest highlights more than 20 Florida based breweries and over a dozen Tampa Bay favorites, including:

3 Daughters Brewing
Barrel of Monks Brewing
Big Storm Brewing
Big Top Brewing Co.
Brew Hub
Central 28 Beer
Cigar City Brewing
Coppertail Brewing Co.
Crooked Thumb Brewery
Dunedin House of Beer
Escape Brewing Company
Florida Avenue Brewing Co.
Fort Myers Brewing Co.
Green Bench Brewing Co.
J.Wakefield Brewing
M.I.A Beer Company
Orange Blossom Trail Brewing Co.
Pierced Ciderworks
Sailfish Brewing Co.
Tampa Bay Brewing Co.
Two Henrys Brewing Co.
Veza Sur Brewery
Walking Tree Brewery

All-new culinary creations include tacos, melts, sliders and other hand-held bites.

A few of our favorites include:

Bison Slider Grilled Bison Slider on a Pretzel Roll with Provolone Cheese, Bacon & Onion Marmalade
Bacon Mac & Cheese Bites with choice of dipping sauce
Deep-Fried Pretzel Sticks with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce
Flourless Chocolate Torte Served with Guinness-Infused Whipped Cream

Cool off with all-new floats featuring unique combinations like the Hard Coffee Float– Pabst Blue Ribbon Hard Coffee served over chocolate soft serve ice cream and Rosé Float created with Astoria sparkling rosé Moscato over vanilla ice cream. Our personal favorite is the Adult Root Beer Float mixed with a shot of your choice.

Here’s a map of the Busch Gardens Bier Fest. You can also download the digital event guide at buschgardens.com/cheers. Don’t forget to stop by the Garden Gate Café for your two free beer samples too!

In addition to the Bier Fest, you can enjoy all of Busch Gardens regular attractions and animal habitats. Hubby and I took a nice train ride through the Serengeti Plain, and he finally concurred Tigris, Florida’s tallest launch coaster which opened this Spring.

Don’t forget Busch Gardens Bier Fest runs through September 8th, 2019, so make your way to the theme park before time runs out! We had such a great date night exploring the festival and park! The Sampler Lanyard is the best bang for your buck too!